Authorities are investigating how a recreational boat was taken after hours before striking a pier near Logan International Airport.
BOSTON, Mass. — A 24-year-old former college soccer player from Massachusetts died after a recreational boat crashed into a pier near Boston Logan International Airport late Wednesday night, throwing four people into the water and prompting a large emergency response along the harbor shoreline.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert, a 2024 graduate of Union College in Schenectady, New York, died Thursday after the boat struck Pier 4R near Logan Airport around 11:30 p.m., officials said. Three other people aboard the vessel survived with injuries that authorities described as non-life-threatening. Investigators are now examining how the boat was accessed after business hours and what led to the collision near one of the airport’s restricted waterfront areas.
Emergency crews responded to the crash site after reports that a small recreational vessel had slammed into the concrete pier along the edge of Boston Harbor. According to investigators, the impact threw all four occupants into the water and onto shoreline rocks near the airport perimeter. Boston EMS crews arrived in darkness and worked alongside Massport Fire personnel to pull the victims from slippery rocks along the harbor edge. Officials said the operation was complicated by poor visibility and difficult footing near the seawall. Dankert was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. The remaining passengers, including two women in their early 20s and a 40-year-old man identified as the boat’s operator, were treated for injuries and hospitalized overnight. Authorities temporarily restricted activity near one of Logan Airport’s runways while emergency crews secured the scene and cleared wreckage from the area.
Investigators said the vessel involved belonged to Freedom Boat Club, a nationwide membership-based boating company with a location in Boston’s Seaport District. Company representatives said the boat was taken “without authorization” after the club had already closed for the day. Officials have not publicly explained how the group gained access to the vessel or whether any criminal charges are expected. Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office said investigators are reviewing witness accounts, marina security information, and physical evidence recovered from the crash site. Authorities have not released details about whether alcohol, speed, or visibility conditions played a role in the collision. The damaged center-console boat was later photographed resting near shoreline rocks with severe structural damage to the front section of the vessel. Law enforcement agencies, including Massachusetts State Police and Massport officials, continued collecting evidence throughout Thursday. No additional victims were found in the water during the search operation.
Dankert was widely known in the Union College community as both an athlete and student leader during her four years at the liberal arts school in upstate New York. She played for the women’s soccer program and was also involved in academic organizations on campus. In a statement released after news of her death, college officials described her as “an exceptional student-athlete” who made a strong impact on classmates and teammates. Friends and former classmates shared messages online remembering Dankert as energetic, competitive and deeply involved in campus life. Her death stunned many in both the Union College and Andover, Massachusetts, communities, where she grew up. The crash also renewed attention on boating safety in Boston Harbor, particularly near industrial and airport infrastructure where navigational hazards can become difficult to see at night. Pier 4R sits close to Logan Airport operations areas and extends into a heavily regulated section of the harbor that includes commercial and transportation traffic.
Authorities said the investigation remains active and could involve additional forensic analysis of the vessel and electronic records connected to the marina. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is leading the inquiry with assistance from Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the agency. Officials have not announced whether the 40-year-old operator could face charges related to unauthorized use of the vessel or negligent operation. Investigators are also expected to examine weather conditions, tide movement and possible mechanical factors. Airport officials said runway operations were briefly affected immediately after the crash while first responders worked near the waterline. By Thursday morning, normal airport operations had resumed. The medical examiner’s office is expected to complete a formal review of Dankert’s cause and manner of death in the coming days. Officials have not announced a timeline for releasing a final investigative report.
The scene along the harbor remained active well into Thursday as investigators photographed debris and interviewed witnesses connected to the boat club and surrounding marina area. Boston EMS personnel described the rescue effort as physically demanding because of the rocky shoreline and darkness surrounding the crash location. Union College spokesman Phillip Wajda said the school had begun reaching out to students and alumni affected by the loss. “Her passing is a profound loss for our campus community,” Wajda said in a statement released Thursday. Outside the marina area, several residents and workers stopped to observe investigators examining the damaged vessel. Some described hearing emergency sirens and seeing flashing lights reflect off the harbor shortly before midnight. By late afternoon, crews had removed much of the wreckage from the shoreline, though investigators continued working behind police barriers near the pier entrance.
Officials said the investigation into the crash and the unauthorized use of the boat is expected to continue through the coming weeks. Authorities have not announced any arrests or filed charges as of Friday afternoon. Additional updates are expected after investigators complete interviews and review evidence recovered from the harbor scene.
Author note: Last updated May 16, 2026.